DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS

23 JULY 2022

. No.	Topic Name	Prelims/Mains
1.	About the Agnipath Scheme	Prelims & Mains
2.	Details of the Place of Worship Act	Prelims & Mains
3.	About the Private Members Bill	Prelims & Mains
4.	Details of the DGCA	Prelims Specific Topic

 

1 – About the Agnipath Scheme 

GS II

Topic – Government Policies and Interventions

• Context:
• The Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) or paramilitary will be subject to a horizontal application of the 10% reservation for Agnipath Scheme recruits, the Ministry of Home Affairs informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, July 20. The new reservation will slot horizontally alongside the current caste-based quota and physical eligibility requirements in the CAPFs.
• Agnipath Scheme:
• The majority of the 45,000 to 50,000 soldiers that the new Agnipath programme recruits each year will leave the military in just four years.
• Only 25% of the annual recruit total will be allowed to serve under permanent commission for a further 15 years.
• Candidates must fall within the age range of 17.5 and 23. The plan is only available to personnel with ranks lower than officer.
• In the army, commissioned officers hold the highest positions.
• Only commissioned officers hold such rank in the Indian armed forces. They frequently participate in commissions run by the president and are required by law to protect the country.
• In the Armed Forces, they would establish a special rank that would be different from all other ranks.
• After service for four years, agniveers will have the option to apply for permanent enlistment in the Armed Forces based on organisational requirements and policies that the Armed Forces periodically set.
• Candidates must be from “all India, all classes,” which includes individuals of any caste, region, class, or religion, in order to be eligible for the services.
• Caste and locality are the two main factors that influence recruitment under the present “regiment system”.
• After six months of training, the deployment will last for three and a half years.
• Benefits for Agniveers:
• During this period, a Seva Nidhi plan will be put in place, wherein 30% of their wages will be placed aside each month, in addition to a matching monthly contribution from the government plus interest.
• At the end of the four-year period, each soldier would receive a lump sum payment of Rs. 11.71 lakh, which is tax-free.
• For the 25% of troops who are reselected, the first four years will not be factored towards retirement benefits.
• Aspiring business owners will be given preference when applying for bnk financing.
• For further study, a certificate from the appropriate bridging course will be awarded.
• The Agniveers will receive preference in specific states in the CAPFs, Assam Rifles, police, and allied forces.
• Employable skills and professional expertise in a range of industries, including engineering, mechanics, law, and order.
• Major corporations and industries (IT, Security, Engineering) have stated they will give employing a competent and submissive engineer first priority.
• The advantages of the Agnipath Scheme include:
• Armed forces that are younger: The average age of India’s roughly 13 lakh strong armed forces is currently 32 years old. It is expected that by implementing this approach, it will be shortened by about 4-5 years.
• The government has authorised or paid more than Rs. 3.3 lakh crore for defence pension since 2020, which has reduced the cost of pensions.
• By employing this “Tour of Duty model” of recruitment for only one sepoy, the Army estimates that the government could save approximately $11.5 billion (the army initially proposed a 3-year service model).
• The ability of younger armed forces to be trained for new technology will improve training and worker capabilities.
• Increased employment opportunities: As a result of their four years of military training and experience, recruits will have more possibilities outside of the army.
• The national government would presumably give Agniveers preference for regular work after they have served for four years.
• Agnipath plan issues:
• Permanent status and pension benefits, which would dissuade young individuals from joining the programme, are eliminated by the programme.
• Criticism has been levelled because 6 months of training is deemed insufficient for the missions now entrusted to the armed services.
• Veterans are worried about the military becoming into a transient force, which will diminish a soldier’s commitment to the forces.
• Conclusion:
• Many other countries use the voluntary tour of duty model, similar to the US, where the deployment is based on the needs of the military and the branch of service.
• Conscription is mandated in a number of countries, such as Israel, Norway, North Korea, and Sweden.
• The strategy would be helpful for the young people to obtain experience. However, the government must ensure that it addresses all of the public’s queries and worries.

Source – The Indian Express

2 – Details of the Place of Worship Act:

GS II

Topic – Government Policies and Interventions

• Context:
• On Friday, a BJP MP was set to introduce a private member’s bill in the Rajya Sabha that would repeal the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991. This occurs as a Varanasi court continues to hear testimony in the civil lawsuit relating to the conflict between the Gyanvapi mosque and the Kashi Vishwanath temple.
• What does the Places of Worship Act of 1991 state?
• A house of worship must retain its religious identity as it existed on August 15, 1947, according to the Act.
• The law prohibits anyone from converting a place of worship that belongs to one religious denomination into another.
• All litigation, appeals, or other activities involving changing the status of a place of worship that were pending before any court or authority on August 15, 1947, are to be ended as soon as the law takes effect. No further legal action will be taken.
• The following items are exempt from these limitations:
• Any dispute that has been settled amicably between the parties, any case that has been definitively concluded or dismissed, and any property conversion that took place before the Act went into effect.
• Additionally, the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid temple in Ayodhya is not covered by the Act. All other current laws shall be superseded by this law.
• The Act has drawn criticism because:
• On the grounds that it inhibits the right to judicial review, which is a key component of the Constitution, imposes a “arbitrary unjustified retrospective cutoff date,” and restricts the freedom of religion for Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, and Sikhs, it has been challenged.

Source – The Hindu

3 – About the Private Members Bill:

GS II

Topic – Indian Parliament

• Context:
• A BJP member was scheduled to introduce a private member’s bill repealing the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, in the Rajya Sabha on Friday. This is happening as the civil case involving the dispute between the Gyanvapi mosque and the Kashi Vishwanath temple is still being heard in court in Varanasi.
• About:
• A member of parliament (MP) who is not a minister is known as a private MP.
• This particular member is in charge of writing it. Before being introduced in the House, it requires a month’s notice.
• Public bills that pertain to government can be introduced and discussed at any time, whereas private member bills can only be brought and considered on Fridays.
• When there are multiple measures, the order in which they are introduced is decided by a ballot method.
• The Parliamentary Committee on Private Member’s Bills and Resolutions examines all such bills and categorises them based on their urgency and importance.
• The government’s departure or the degree of parliamentary confidence in it are unaffected by the House’s rejection of it.
• The member who is leading the bill has the choice to either withdraw it at the minister’s request or proceed with its passage following the discussion.
• Previous Private Members’ Bills:
• The last time both Houses passed a private member’s bill was in 1970.
• The legislation in question was the Supreme Court (Enlargement of Criminal Appellate Jurisdiction) Bill of 1968.
• The Rajya Sabha received 14 private member’s bills, five of which were ultimately voted into law. The Proceedings of Legislature (Protection of Publication) Bill from 1956 is another piece of independent legislation that was approved by the Lok Sabha.
• The Salaries and Allowances of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 1964, was delivered to the Lok Sabha.
• The Indian Penal Code (Amendment) Bill of 1967 was initially presented to the Rajya Sabha.
• Significance:
• The private member’s bill aims to draw the government’s attention to issues and gaps in the existing legal system that some MPs believe necessitate legislative action.
• It thus represents the viewpoint of the opposition party on crucial subjects.

Source – The Indian Express

4 – Details of the DGCA:

Prelims Specific Topic

• Context:
• According to government sources, a Boeing 787 flown by AIR India on Thursday with roughly 260 people on board encountered cabin depressurization while in route from Dubai to Kochi. The jet was flying at 37,000 feet when the issue occurred, and passengers were wearing breathing masks while having nosebleeds. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation is investigating it (DGCA).
• About DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation):
• The law created this organisation to regulate civil aviation in India.
• The Aircraft (Amendment) Bill, 2020 created it.
• Its duties include looking into incidents involving aircraft, preserving all aviation regulations, and awarding licences.

Source – The Hindu